Danielle Scott Aerial Skier

We caught up with Danielle Scott Aerial Skier to learn more about what makes her tick.

Danielle is an elite athlete with a remarkable story that saw her change from gymnastics to aerial skiing at a young age.

A regular on the world cup circuit, she won a bronze medal at the 2013 World Championships in Norway, finished first at the Europa Cup in Finland and second at the 2014 World Cup in Lake Placid in the USA. And she recently competed at the Sochi Olympics.

She is constantly traveling and has a gruelling training schedule but found some time to talk to us, here’s our chat:

Can you tell us about your day job? My day job is pretty unique! Whether it is chasing competitions around the world, or spending a summer preparing thousands and thousands of jumps into a pool, I am ultimately working to be the world’s best – and stay one of the world’s best. It revolves around preparing, fuelling, strengthening and fine-tuning my own body in order to perform and be successful.

How did you become an aerial skier? I became an aerial skier through a transition program where they take elite level gymnasts and teach them to ski. I never reached my full potential with gymnasts and was looking for something more so when I was recruited by five time Olympian, Jacqui Cooper, I was ready to take on the new challenge.

What has been your proudest moment? My proudest moment would have to have been winning the bronze medal at the 2013 World Championships in Norway. It was my break through podium and I did it on my birthday, which made it even more memorable!

What’s your favourite jump? My favourite jump would have to be the double-full, full. This is a triple twisting, double somersault where you perform two full twists in the first flip, and one twist in the second flip. It spins fast and leaves such an incredible feeling when you nail the landing.

Who’s your idol? My idol is the surfer Bethany Hamilton. She lost her arm to a shark attack, yet got back on the board and is still as competitive as ever. She didn’t let something out of her control, affect her and take away from what she loved. I really admire her as she shows that determination can overrule fear and how it is possible to take something and use it to make you stronger.

How does it feel to be part of the Olympic team? It feels very exciting and prestigious. It’s something I have dreamt of since I was a little girl, so to be representing my country in such a historic event, I couldn’t be more happy!

Do you travel much? Yes! I usually only spend about two months out of the year at home. My sport of aerial skiing requires me to travel so much due to training and competition venues not being located in Australia.

How do you feel when you travel? I generally feel really slowed down after a travel day. The long flights and lay over times can be really draining, especially when you are traveling to different time zones each week. I also usually find it difficult to get sufficient sleep hours in the new time zone.

Has Re-Timer helped? Re-Timer has really helped me to prepare and adjust to the time zones throughout the competition season. Usually I find myself waking in the middle of night and not being able to fall back asleep. This can be detrimental to training and competition preparation, so Re-Timer has helped me get ahead of the game and be ready to perform at my best.

What’s your favourite travel destination? My favourite travel destination is Norway. The people are so welcoming, the food is delicious, and the scenery is very picturesque.